The present invention generally relates to controller devices and more particularly to a programmable controller for electrical devices such as appliances.
Controllers for electrical devices such as appliances have in one of their simplest forms included timers which plug into the AC line power source, with the appliance, such as a light, radio, coffee pot, etc., plugging into the timer. The timer includes a motor which causes a 24-hour dial to rotate, making one full revolution per day, turning the appliance on and then off once per day. More recently, such timers have been provided with either a turn on or turn off capability once per hour. So-called clock-radios have also been provided with this turn on/turn off capability integrated therein.
More sophisticated appliance controllers than the above-noted timers have also been developed in the past. One such controller is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,577,004. This controller or programmed clock timer is provided with the capability to operate an alarm and an appliance on an adjustable 24-hour sequence which is supplemented with selectively programmed 24-hour and 7-day timing sequences. In such manner, one or more appliances may be operated according to a predetermined program, which is visibly presented on a control panel with individual incremental time segments being programmed by an array of manually operated push-pull switches.
Controllers of varying complexity and specific uses may also be seen from U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,965,366; 3,840,752 and 4,035,661. In addition, other controllers which have appeared in various newspaper or magazine articles for use with, for example, television sets, which controllers are not necessarily included in the "prior" art, include a programmable television set offered by Heathkit Corporation, a programmable television set which will apparently be offered in the near future by Sharp Corporation, and a television controller which will apparently be marketed under the trade name, Video Proctor, which was the subject of an article in the Jan. 20, 1978 issue of New York Tribune newspaper (also see the Mar. 1978 issue of Consumer Electronics magazine).
Some of the above-mentioned controllers have been developed, as has the apparatus of the present invention, based on the rising concern about the quality of television programming, TV violence, and increasing concern about TV addiction among children. Thus, a convenient, low-cost way to regulate the amount and type of TV programs would help to alleviate such concerns. In addition to the use of such controller for regulating television usage, it is also important to control other electrical devices such as common household appliances, including lights, radio, toaster, tape recorders, video tape recorders, etc. Additionally, such controller should have the capability to turn such appliance on and off at completely random times for use, for example, as a security timer.
For many of the above-noted applications, the controller must be able to be locked, i.e., the programming of the on/off sequences should not be alterable without a key or combination under the control of an authorized operator. Further, for convenience, the controller should be useable without the need for the services of, for example, a TV repairman to install the controller. In addition, the steps required to program the controller should be as simple and straight-forward as possible.
It is accordingly the primary object of the present invention to provide a programmable appliance controller which is convenient and easy to use.